HURCO KMB-1 Control Update

I guess that's the bit I am missing.
In the hal file, there are no "input-a" anything for the X,Y and Z encoders so I don't get how lcnc knows what anything is connected to.

Sorry.

The hal file is what connects things (it does not show all possible pins) ,
so to use an encoder input, you would do something like this:

net min-x <= hm2_7i92.0.encoder.01.input-a

You can use halshow to browse pins and parameters:

 


or list all pins/parameters by running this command:

halcmd show all

from a terminal window when LinuxCNC is running.

You can also

halcmd show all > all.txt

to create a copy/paste donor file when editing hal files

if you just want hardware pins/parameters

halcmd show all hm2

will do

If you just want encoder pins/parameters.

halcmd show all *encoder*

or

halcmd show pin *encoder*

if you just want to see encoder pins.

Thanks for your patience.
I get that I can find all the available pins using the methods above.
What I don't get is that when I use mesaCT or PNCConf to create ini and .hal files and have selected say channel 0 for the X encoder, The physical pins that will be used don't show up the hal file.
Its to me like when you make the selection in the gui, some things are automatically known like the pins, and the hal file doesn't need to show all of them, just ones you might need to edit.
So the hal file isn't the place to look for the full details of a setup right back to pins.
I will learn this system...

Yeah, the GUIs don't list all possible connections so you
need to connect these by directly editing the hal files.

  Again

Failed on an image paste here, so trying again with an attachment.

I'd like to confirm that I'm connecting up my 7i77D correctly.
The I-J3-2 terminal here went originally to an optical isolator that was kept switched on by a watchdog timer that only runs when the operating system is loaded and running. The COR relay is enabled  by the On switch, and until this happens, nothing on the machine works, eg the servos relay cannot be enabled etc.
I am proposing to connect this same terminal to IO Output pin 0
mesact has written io.hal line as saying 
net estop-loopback => hm2_7i92.0.7i77.0.0.output-00
From my reading of the manual, the 7i77 will only enable this pin, when linuxcnc is up and running.ie the same as the original system.

Does this all look good?

Thanks

Yes, that looks OK hardware wise. LinuxCNC will only enable the output when running
and any loss of communications will disable the output.

Thank you.

I have connected the boards to the machine, powered it, and got the encoders working and calibrated. Probably ought to throw in a smiley here.
However, moving on, I cannot get the emergency stop system to work as I expected.
When I setup a Output 0 with
net estop-loopback => hm2_7i92.0.7i77.0.0.output-00
Confused myself for a while by not having the field power connected, but now it is I expected that after linuxcnc was launched, and the soft EStop button on the screen was clicked followed by the soft power button, I'd be able to latch the COR relay (In the diagram above and yes the air is on)  by pressing the power button on the machine panel. But it doesn't. 
I guess I am missing something again.

The video

Caught up on my education last night. skunkworks video is a revelation.
Understanding how to use the halcmd, and halmeter to choose correct hal syntax and then use halmeter to confirm what you've written works was just fantastic.
So much so, that I think my estop circuit problem may be a 7i77D versus 7i77 issue.
Mine is supposedly a 7i77D, but when an output terminal is true, it outputs 24volts, where I was expecting it to sink.

Turns out its a 7i77 with a 7i77D (d for digital)  quality sticker  on the underside rather than a 7i77D type.which has that written in the artwork on the topside.

ULN2003AN array has been my solution until the 7i77U become available.